This application claims the priority of German Patent Document No. 101 17 650.3, filed Apr. 9, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a process and a device for moving a motor vehicle into a target position.
Motor vehicles are conventionally controlled by drivers sitting in the driver""s seat. If a motor vehicle, which is parked in a narrow parking space, has to be moved into another parking position, it is necessary for a driver to get into the vehicle in order to drive it into the desired other position. However, getting comfortably into the entrance side of the motor vehicle is often not possible or possible only with difficulty due to another parked motor vehicle.
The same problem arises when, after parking, the vehicle driver or a passenger of the motor vehicle wants to leave again. In garages, multi-story parking garages, parking lots and the public streets, the doors of a vehicle often cannot be opened wide enough, due to narrow parking conditions, in order for the passengers to get out comfortably. Therefore, passengers often get out of the vehicle before parking, a process that is impossible for the vehicle driver when performing a conventional parking operation. The same problem also arises in conjunction with pulling a parked vehicle out of narrow parking spaces, and the passengers do not get in until after the vehicle has been pulled out.
To facilitate the parking of motor vehicles, the use of an on-board parking assistant is known, such as the one described in the JP-A05002422. Such a parking assistant helps the vehicle driver with the parking operation by sending continuously calculated steering instructions to the vehicle driver. If the driver of the vehicle carries out these instructions, he can maneuver the vehicle safely into a planned parking space. In addition, the parking assistant measures continuously with its measurement system the instantaneous position and the setting angle of the vehicle in relation to the parking space. From these measurement values an on-board computer generates continuously the steering instructions for the vehicle driver.
With such a device, however, it is not possible for the driver, who must park the vehicle in accordance with the steering instructions while sitting in the vehicle, to get out of the vehicle comfortably in a narrow parking space, for example, when parking in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle. A simple xe2x80x9cunparkingxe2x80x9d or maneuvering of the motor vehicle is not possible with such a device.
Thus, the object of the invention is to provide a process and a device for controlling a motor vehicle that makes it possible to park or drive the motor vehicle in a comfortable manner even under unfavorable parking conditions. In addition, the motor vehicle driver and/or the passengers can always get in and out comfortably.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a process for moving a motor vehicle into a target position includes putting the motor vehicle into a starting position close to the desired target position. Following a first driver-side activation, the environment of the motor vehicle is scanned continuously at least for detection of the target position, and the current motor vehicle position is determined continuously. With the aid of the determined environment and position information, control data for moving the motor vehicle into the target position are found. After a second driver-side activation, control data-dependent control commands are delivered to the drive train, the brake system and/or the steering of the motor vehicle, thus allowing the motor vehicle to be automatically driven into the target position.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the desired target position can be recognized by means of the determined environment and/or position data; and corresponding information is delivered to the driver.
According to another preferred embodiment, when an obstacle for the parking operation is detected while scanning the environment of the motor vehicle and while determining the current motor vehicle position, warning information and/or information about the obstacle can be delivered to the driver, the second driver-side activation is blocked, and/or the driving operation into the target position is terminated or interrupted.
According to yet another embodiment, there can be a communications connection between the driver outside the motor vehicle and the motor vehicle. The connection sends to the motor vehicle at least a driver-side activation command or the similar control command and/or sends to the driver vehicle-side data.
According to yet another embodiment, the target position can be a parking space, a garage parking space or the like, which can be determined by the environment and position data that are found.
According to a further embodiment, the starting position can be a parking space, a garage parking space, or the like, and the target position can be a position outside the starting position.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a device for carrying out the aforementioned process includes an environment sensing device, disposed on the motor vehicle, for detecting continuously the environment of the motor vehicle and the target position, a position sensing device, disposed on the motor vehicle, for detecting continuously the position of the motor vehicle, and a first actuator, acting on the environment sensing device and the position sensing device, for driver-side activation of the environment sensing device and the position sensing device. The device further includes a computer, connected to the environment sensing device and the position sensing device, for generating control data as a function of the environment and the vehicle position for the purpose of moving the motor vehicle into the target position, a controller, connected to the drive train, the brake system and/or the steering of the motor vehicle, for the purpose of influencing as a function of the control data the drive train, the brake system and/or the steering of the motor vehicle in such a manner that the motor vehicle drives into the target position independently of the driver, whereby a second actuator is in contact with the controller for driver-side activation of the controller.
According to another embodiment of the device, at least the first actuator can be disposed on the motor vehicle.
According to yet another embodiment, at least the second actuator can be disposed on a transmitter, which communicates with a receiver, connected to the controller.
According to still another embodiment, the environment sensing device and/or the position sensing device can exhibit a camera arrangement, a laser scanner arrangement, an ultrasonic sensor arrangement, a radar sensor arrangement, or the like.
According to a further embodiment, the position sensing device can exhibit a satellite-aided GPS position recognition for recognizing the start and target position and the current position.
According to a still further embodiment, an emergency terminating mechanism for driver-side termination or interruption of the driving operation into the target position can be disposed on the motor vehicle and/or the transmitter.
One embodiment is explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.